Mum's The Word

Ignored by both BJP and Congress, Muslim voters are keeping their cards close to the chest

- Pratul Sharma

From 1988 to 1989, Kadir Pirzada of the Congress was mayor of Surat, the city known for its diamond and textile trade. Since 1990, the BJP has held sway over the mayor’s post. Considered close to Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel, Pirzada was one of the few Muslim mayors the city had before the BJP swooped in. And the number of Muslim MLAs has been dwindling. The outgoing Gujarat assembly had only two Muslim members, down from 12 in 1980.

Pirzada had unsuccessfully contested the last assembly election, and was eyeing the Surat East seat this time but lost the ticket to a Hindu Khatri candidate. The Congress, like the BJP, has been strategically keeping away from Muslim issues. “No one has spoken to us,” he told THE WEEK. “The Muslim community is feeling ignored. The community is committed to the Congress. Yet, something is going on, the community feels so. If a large community is being sidelined, everyone should be worried, including the BJP.”

The Muslim voter appears to have gone missing from the election narrative. While the BJP has never shied away from its hindutva ideology, the Congress also wants to be seen as a pro-Hindu party this time. This was evident from its engagement with caste leaders like Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani, and also from Rahul Gandhi’s temple visits (20 in two months).